Tuesday, 26 February 2008

The 3100 mile run across the USA is a long way off but that hasn't stopped Burnley Keith (pictured) from pledging 2 weeks of support. That leaves about 96 days of support to fill!

Unlike the John O'Groats to Lands End run, the next event will require mobile accommodation. It would be really difficult and very expensive to try and book hotels etc in the USA for such a considerable distance. I'm going to have to acquire a motor home of some description. On the cheap of course!

Well it's been almost 2 months after the Christmas break and I can safely say that my training in 2008 is going to plan. It's all about time on my feet at the moment in an attempt to get as many miles in as family/work life allows.

I was quite pleased with a 7 minute 50 second mile last week. This happened on the last mile of my favourite Town Moor run.

As per usual the staff at Northern Rock have been full of encouragement and support. There is hardly a mile where I'm found running on my own. Even when I'm lagging behind the lads tend to slow down for me or double back. This can't be doing their training any good! Thanks then go to Carl Hudson, John Brettell, Jonathan Jobe, Pete Maddison and Carlton Fletcher. I'll get quicker lads I promise!

Also worth a mention is the one and only Jimmy Bell (pictured at last year's Great North Run as a spectator). This lad has put up one hell of a fight against cancer and made his competitive comeback last week in a cross country race. Jimmy continues to be an inspiration to everybody, myself included. He is so modest and neglected to mention this week that his comeback made it into the Evening Chronicle. Welcome back Jim!

I'm currently on a fundraising campaign to run 20,000 miles Around The World in aid of charities in the North East of England.

Whilst not pursuing a world record, the run is following two aspects of the Guinness World Record criteria used, not in running, but in cycling for “fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle”; To travel a minimum of 18,000 miles (28,968 km) and to travel through two approximate antipodal points (i.e. opposite points on the planet).

The purpose of using the criteria is to, at least, give credibility to the claim that I, Run Geordie Run, will “run around the world”.

The distance of my chosen route is 20,000 miles (32,189 km) and it will take approximately 608 days (1 year and 243 days) to complete. The chosen antipodal points are La Coruña in Spain and Christchurch in New Zealand.

The run Around The World is split into 8 segments, some of which have been completed already: